Fake £1 coins scammer jailed for two years

Andrew Cockill was jailed for two years after a judge said he took part in the sophisticated con 'out of sheer greed'

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A man who passed more than £20,000 in fake £1 coins into supermarket change machines has been jailed for two years.

Mold Crown Court heard that defendant, Andrew John Cockill was part of a “sophisticated conspiracy” to circulate the counterfeit coins into the general economy.

More than £7,000 worth of the coins were deposited in seven supermarkets in September last year and £13,000 worth were put into change machines at 14 supermarkets including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda at Neston, Queensferry, Saltney, Chester, Holywell, Flint and Wrexham.

Many of the coins had not been seized and the majority were now in general circulation.

Judge Niclas Parry told Cockill, 33, of Haycroft Close in Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port: “As a result of the part you played, these coins are now in circulation in the economy of this country, no doubt being paid to innocent members of the public and businesses. You became part of this out of sheer greed.

"It was not a case of someone with a handful of notes but a sophisticated and planned financial attack.

“This struck at the very heart of the economy of this country."

Richards Edwards, prosecuting, said the offences occurred at various supermarkets that had Coinstar change machines.

Over a week in late September and early October last year significant amounts of cash were deposited in 21 stores across the region.

Suspicions were roused because of the large amount of £1 coins being deposited when the company usually receive small amounts of money when emptying money boxes.

Mr Edwards said that on October 3, Cockill deposited counterfeit coins in Morrisons in Wrexham when he tried to exchange the voucher for cash but staff who had been alerted refused until the coins were checked.

Police were called when he allegedly became abusive, he was arrested and at his home police recovered £2,500 worth of legitimate cash

Interviewed, he admitted depositing the coins throughout the region after he found it difficult to get legitimate work as an electrician.

He was put in touch with someone to exchange the coins at £1,000 a go.

He was told where to go, given a list with post codes of various stores and was paid £50 for every £1,000 bag he deposited in the machines.

The defendant claimed he did not know that they were counterfeit initially.

There had been no loss to Coinstar.

Mr Edwards said: “These were of sufficient quality, that they were not identified as counterfeit and they were sent to retailers for change – placed through the system and back into the economy.

“The upshot is that more than £20,000 is now back in circulation."

Alun Williams, defending, said that his client denied being abusive.

The machine was not subtle enough to pick up counterfeit coins, and regrettably when the company had suspicions the coins had been allowed back into circulation.

The defendant was full of remorse, Mr Williams added: “He is at the bottom of the ladder, merely the foot soldier. This was a particularly hair brained scheme.”

The judge accepted that Cockill had no previous convictions and was not a lead member of the gang.

But he had to understand that when foot soldiers were caught they had to be punished as an example to others.